1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an outboard motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
An outboard motor includes a shifting mechanism configured to change transmission of power from the engine to the propeller shaft to any one of forward, reverse, and neutral. Such a shifting mechanism includes a dog clutch, a forward gear, and a reverse gear. The shifting mechanism changes the direction in which power is transmitted to the propeller shaft by changing between connecting the dog clutch and the forward gear, and connecting the dog clutch and the reverse gear.
When the dog clutch and the forward gear become meshed together, a rotational speed difference may exist between the dog clutch and the forward gear. Due to this configuration, it is not easy to mesh the dog clutch and the forward gear together smoothly, and in some cases a shift shock is generated. In a similar manner, when the dog clutch and the reverse gear become meshed together, in some cases a shift shock is generated due to a rotational speed difference between the dog clutch and the reverse gear.
In order to suppress this type of shift shock, for example, the shifting mechanism of the outboard motor of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2009-190653 is equipped with a cone clutch. The cone clutch is disposed in line with the dog clutch along the direction of the axial line of the drive shaft, and is coupled to the dog clutch. Before the dog clutch and the forward gear mesh together, or the dog clutch and the reverse gear mesh together, the cone clutch frictionally engages against a contacting surface that is provided on the forward gear or on the reverse gear. In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2009-190653, it is explained that, due to this operation of the cone clutch, it is possible for the dog clutch and the forward gear, or the dog clutch and the reverse gear, to become meshed together in a state in which the rotation of the dog clutch and the rotation of the forward gear, or the rotation of the reverse gear, have been synchronized.